The Citizen Belgian Ale is inspired by the timeless Tripel style ales of Belgium. Using a traditional high gravity "Abbey" yeast strain that encourages the production of highly palatable ethanol notes supported by Aromatic and "The Citizen" also exhibits the noble hop spiciness that is common to most Belgian Ales. Reigning in at 7.0% ABV this is the Brau's strongest offering in our flagship portfolio. Become a Citizen of the world, one sip at a time!

Reviews by tectactoe:

I forget who extra'd me this, but thank you to whomever you are. Shame on me for forgetting. This one pours a deep gold, almost-amber color in the center with some bright, banana yellow highlights at the edges. Big, soapy, and frothy is the stark-white cap, settling nicely at just over a half an inch. A decent amount of sediment can be seem floating through the murky, yellow abyss.

The initial whiff instantly reveals what seems like some sort of mixture between a Belgian style triple and and American Pale Lager. Notes like mild clove, fruity esters, and some very light Candi sugar are pushing the tripel front, while some musky, murky hops, heavy grains, and a substantial amount of wheat lean towards a lager. It is evident from the yeast, however (especially upon warming) that this is certainly no lager, though the hops can be deceiving at first. The yeast opens up with some warmth and shows more bubblegum-like notes, though still slightly underpowered, that easily unmask the Belgian nature of this brew.

And as confusing as the nose is, the flavor of this one is even more unexpected. Initially, it hits with a banana-like fruitiness that's accompanied with a mild sugar coating, almost Candi sugar sweet, but not quite there. One good malt charge later and you think this will be like a traditional tripel. But before long, a staunch, hoppy bitterness wafts in and engulfs the palate; musky and dry hops, possibly some sort of Noble variety. Grains come into the scene and play off of the almost astringent bitterness.

Some moderately soft wheat fades in and out, as does a good amount of fusel alcohol notes, somewhat surprising for being only 7% ABV. The finish comes back with another light hint of fruity sweetness - again, mostly banana, possibly joined by a light pear essence this time around. The bold and assertive bitterness of the hops are not to be forgotten, however, as they remain lingering heavily in the background. Some bready malts and grains coat the palate afterwards with a slight touch of yeast, but I keep having the feeling that nothing is really "coming together" for this beer. Thin-medium bodied with high carbonation for a wet, crisp mouth feel.

Not sure if it was the execution or just an odd collection of ingredients, but this one didn't really mesh the flavors well. Too many distinct flavors popping out on their own, seemingly out of place, rather than molding together to form a nice, coherent flavor profile. Far from awful, but probably not something I'd seek out again. (2,529 characters)

A robust “Abbey” ale yeast strain created this brew, so it has the traits of a bigger beer without a massive amount of alcohol. Very complex, this is not one to just knock back as each sip peels back another layer of flavor. (544 characters)

Taste / Palate: The flavor is sweet and bready with hints of orange peel. It also has just the slightest hint of grassy/floral hops in the background. The palate feels overly smooth and very lightly carbonated. Overall I don’t get much in the way of a Belgian style ale. (601 characters)

12 ounce can. On the bottom "Drink Me! 3/19/2014" Best before date? Canned on date? Dont the brewers think this might be kinda confusing and ultimately of no use to the customer??

Pours orange hued and hazed. Out of the can its all fizzy and loud bubbles. Larger head quickly goes to next to nothing. No film, no collar and very minor lace left on the glass. Something about a beer that makes a noticeable sound as the bubbles pop is off putting to me

The nose is of sugary fruit and a hint of yeast.

In the mouth this one is quite thick and viscous. Notes of of sweet fruit and wheat malts.

Too thick, carbonation to low, sweet with some lime and pepper...but complexity and interest here on the low end of the scale...I believe this is my first DC Brau, and I'm not overly impressed.. (791 characters)

Opens sweet and sweet throughout. Notes of clove, coriander and other spices, cane sugar, Belgian yeast, citrus and pineapple sweetness and just a hint of lemon. Sweet and yeasty finish with a touch of yeasty bitterness in the aftertaste. Enjoyable.

Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth in the mouth with some bubbles and goes down quenching. Clean finish with a slightly lingering aftertaste. Real drinkable for a 7% beer.

A decent beer all the way around. That this is a flagship for DC Brau says a lot about the brewery. Worth trying and a real sessionable beer despite the rather high abv. (919 characters)